


Who needs a name

by itsnotlove



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Kidlock, Young Moriarty, Young Sherlock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 10:30:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9604079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsnotlove/pseuds/itsnotlove
Summary: A name is something you can choose for yourself.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Pixietails](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixietails/gifts).



“Are you lost, little one?” A rather tall boy with messy brown hair asked, standing just a fraction too close to the admittedly smaller boy. The lopsided smile he wore only barely touched his eyes, though most wouldn’t notice such a thing.

 

“...”

 

“Oh, cat got your tongue?”

 

“That’s a stupid turn of phrase.”

 

“So you  _ do  _ speak! Was beginning to think you couldn’t.”

 

“I’m not  _ dumb. _ ”

 

“And you’re using that in the right context!” The boy placed both hands behind his back and leaned in, a look of false surprise written on his face. “Aren’t we clever?”

 

“No,  _ we  _ aren’t.” The other boy parried with the tilt of his head and a smug smile. “But  _ I  _ am.”

 

“Is that why you’re looking in the woods? Too  _ clever  _ to go in? Or just a chicken?”

 

“I’m not a chicken!” The outburst seemed to embarrass the boy, who quickly wiped any sign of expression from his face. “I’m  _ seeing. _ ”

 

“And there’s a difference between looking and seeing?”

 

“Of  _ course. _ ”

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“That’s a rude question.”

 

“That’s a rude an-swer” Replying with a sing song voice, the boy stepped beside the other and gazed into the woods. He liked going in there and simply disappearing. Even the adults around them were too afraid, but that only made it the perfect place to hide things. “What would your father  _ do  _ if he heard you?”

 

“Probably  _ hug  _ me.” 

 

The shudder given with the explanation was almost comical, but it made the other boy feel puzzled. It wasn’t often that he felt puzzled, and the feeling seemed to envelope him.

 

“Why?”

 

“ _ “Humans are social creatures and crave physical contact,”  _ or so my brother says. He doesn’t though, but he always  _ threatens  _ me with it. “ _ If you don’t do my chores, I’ll pet your hair, Sherly.” _ ”

 

“Sherly? Isn’t that a girl’s name?”

 

“No!” Woods forgotten, the boy turned to face the other. “It’s a  _ stupid  _ nickname. It’s short for  _ Sherlock. _ ”

 

“That’s a  _ stupid  _ name. Who calls their kid Sherlock? You sure your parents like you?”

 

“ _ Most  _ parents like their children.” Momentarily disarmed, Sherlock looked up at the other boy with his own expression of puzzlement. “Don’t yours?”

 

“Hmm, who can say!”

 

“You can.”

 

“It was a turn of phrase.”

 

“Not a very good one. Did they give you those bruises? They’re larger than what another child would leave.”

 

“How old are you that you can call other children  _ children? _ ”

 

“Twelve. And they  _ are  _ children; it has nothing to do with  _ age. _ ”

 

“I’m older than you, and you’re pretty childish, Sherly.”

 

“Don’t call me that.” Sherlock’s face scrunched. “What’s your name?”

 

“That’s a good question.”

 

“Don’t dodge, it’s rude.”

 

“Oh, I’m not dodging. I just haven’t decided yet.”

 

“Oh.” Sherlock nodded, accepting the answer.

 

“You aren’t going to laugh? Maybe tell me I’m  _ stupid  _ for not knowing?”

 

“You said you haven’t decided.”

 

“And?”

 

“What’s wrong with that?” Turning back to the woods, Sherlock continued casually. “I asked what your name was, not what people call you.”

 

Something dropped out of the other boy’s hand, but the sound of the impact was covered by him stepping forward toward the trees. “What are you seeing?”

 

“Someone’s been going in there.” Almost lazily, Sherlock pointed a finger toward the patch of grass the other boy had been so careful to leave untouched. “I want to know why.”

 

“One day, maybe...” The boy gave Sherlock a careful glance, then started to walk away. “Until then.”

 

“Until- what?” 

 

By the time he’d replied, the other boy had already disappeared into the trees. Or so Sherlock assumed, as he could no longer seem him. Such a strange experience had his mind moving, shifting cogs and gears to find conclusions he was not yet capable of understanding. It was only when he moved to leave that he felt something beneath his foot.

 

He pulled the sleeve of his sweater down over his hand, then used it as a glove to pick the item up.

 

A needle? Full of clear liquid.

 

“...”

 

He looked back to the trees, a familiar sting of curiosity bubbling under his skin.

 

“Catch you later.”

**Author's Note:**

> fuck u kay


End file.
